Before Tina Zulu had ever taken a tango lesson, she had the right shoes.

Zulu was traveling in Argentina in 2009 and visited a Buenos Aires boutique where a line considered the "Manolo Blahnik" of tango shoes was sold. She bought a pair as a souvenir.

When she returned to Houston, she would frequent the Continental Club to hear tango piano player Glover Gill play. There, she learned to tango - wearing her dancing shoes.

"Here I was, this newbie to tango with a totally fabulous pair of shoes," said Zulu, owner of Zulu Creative.

She learned to dance the sultry steps with her husband, Josh Zulu, a mechanical engineer turned DJ. The couple, who have been married for seven years, have a son, Michio, 2.

"I love the connection tango has with people," she said. "You create this dance together. Josh surprises me every now and then, and he'll dance tango. I love it."

Born in New York, Zulu moved to Houston with her family as a teenager. She graduated from University of Houston with a degree in marketing. Her background in retail sales includes a stint in accessories at Neiman Marcus. "I've always been selling something," she said. "Even as child, I was selling lollipops to my friends."

Zulu worked in marketing at Continental Airlines, now United. She also co-owned a clothing boutique selling thrift clothes. She produced fashion shows and organized release parties for musicians, such as Macy Gray and others.

Her exposure to luxury goods at Neiman's fueled her appreciation for quality pieces, but she often combines them with vintage or thrifty looks. For example, she pairs a silk jacket by Houston designer Vanessa Riley with a an H&M striped dress she got on sale and $12 shoes from Buffalo Exchange.

For a fashion plate, her shoe collection is minimal; she has about 30 pairs - including three pairs of tango shoes.

"We moved into a refurbished 100-year-old house five years ago, and there's no closet space," Zulu said with a laugh. "My husband is a minimalist, and I think he has rubbed off on me."

Motherhood, too, has changed Zulu's fashion sensibilities. "I'm not wearing anything that shows a bare-midrift anymore, and I wear a lot more sensible shoes."

TINA ZULU

Occupation: Owner and creative chieftess of Zulu Creative, a niche marketing and brand development agency for businesses in fashion, music, art and hospitality.

Residence: Midtown

What's your style? I dress simply but like to add unusual and luxurious accessories, anything vintage, feathers, fringe, leather, lace, sequins, rhinestones. I'll opt for glitz and glam any day. I love wearing outfits you can dress up or down with a piece jewelry, an unexpected accessory or fabulous pair of shoes.

What's the one thing in your closet you need to get rid of but you can't? A red Moschino "Waist of Money" suit from the '90s with gold-embroidered dollar signs on the buttons. I don't wear the suit anymore, but it would look cool framed as art.

When do you feel most stylish? I feel most put together when I'm wearing vintage, couture or edgy designer pieces, or anytime I wear Shu Uemura false eyelashes.